Dental implants are a great solution for replacing missing or extracted teeth. Unlike dentures or bridges, implants are the closest thing to looking and feeling like your natural teeth. Implants are popular for people who only need to replace one or two teeth, but you can have a whole row of teeth replaced with dental implants. A competent oral surgeon in Fall River can easily assess your current dental health and determine if you’re a candidate for dental implant surgery. Whether you’ve lost a tooth due to an injury or had to have a tooth extracted for dental health reasons, an implant is a great alternative to other forms of tooth replacements.
Preparing for Dental Implants
Before you can begin the process of preparing for surgery, you will need a dental assessment by your dentist. He or she will take x-rays and determine if your current dental health qualifies you for dental implants. Once your dentist determines that implants are a good solution for you, he or she may take an impression of your teeth to help determine the best placement and size of your implant. Some dentists even use special technology to show you images of what happens during the procedure and what your teeth will look like following the surgery.
How Dental Implants Work
When you visit an oral surgeon in Fall River for dental implants, expect to make a couple of visits. The first will be to prepare your gums by inserting the titanium implant. This implant will ultimately fuse together with your dental bones to create a permanent replacement for missing teeth. When your dentist installs this implant, you will need a few weeks to heal. After the area heals, you return and have the permanent anchor tooth installed.
When the procedure is over, your new implants should look and feel like regular teeth. You care for your implants just like regular teeth. Your dentist will provide any special instructions post-surgery, but most people simply floss and brush just like before. Unlike dentures, you do not need to remove the implant, soak it in a special solution, or do anything differently to care for the artificial tooth or teeth. When visiting an oral surgeon in Fall River, make sure to ask any questions you have about living with dental implants to insure it’s the right choice for you.
